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"'Keep it and drown in it,' Steve told her. "'What did you say to Debbie?' his father cried. "Steve urged me on and we left the house

quickly, Steve's father raging behind us, screaming,

'What did you say, boy? What did you say to Debbie?' "We could hear her laughing. I was glad to shut

the door on it all. We hurried down the sidewalk and

into the street.

"'I'll walk you to the bus stop and wait with

you,' Steve said. 'Sorry about all that, but now you

know what I live with.'

"I felt terrible for him, but I was also happy to

be out of there and on my way home to Granny. "At the bus stop, he sat with his head down,

apologizing and swearing he was going to do

something about it all.

"'Don't get yourself into any trouble with him,' I

advised. 'Soon enough you'll be on your own and

you'll have your trust money and you can leave.' "'Not soon enough,' he said.

"Because the wait was long for the bus, we had

time to calm down. I told him my granny had wanted

him to come to our house for dinner.

"'She really wants to meet you,' I said.

`Rodney's still talking about you all the time' "He laughed and promised he would come as

soon as I asked Granny what night. I expected it

would be on the weekend.

"'Maybe the two of us can take Rodney

someplace like the zoo or something and then come

back for dinner,' I suggested.

"He said fine. The bus came. We kissed

goodnight and I got on. He stood there on the

sidewalk looking up at me until the bus started away,

and then he turned and reluctantly walked back

toward his house and what awaited him